Container



B. MOLAUGHLIN CONTAINER Fi1ed.Apri1 11. 1931 Sept. 18, 1934.

INVENTOR. w/zz z/w a/vuz/a/ru/v BY at fl/SATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1934 1,973,960

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER William B. McLaughlin, San Francisco, Calif assignor to Fibreboard Products Inc., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware v Application April 11, 1931, Serial No. 529,359

4 Claims. (Cl. 229-17) My invention relates to containers and particfoldable to form a spout by providing a pair of ularly to those provided with a pouring spout. creases connected with the hinge crease and ex- One of the objects of my invention is the protending across the tongue to foldably divide the vision of a container provided with a pouring same into a central and two side portions. 5 spout which is formed integrally with the con- A second panel is preferably provided to over- 60 tainer. lie the first, and preferably has a portion or see- Another object of my invention is the provition thereof removable to provide an aperture sion of means for shielding the spout forming thru which the spout may extend; the side porportions of a container during the gluing operations of the tongue folding up to form the spout tion, so that these portions will not adhere to as the tongue is pulled thru the aperture. Athird 5 adjacent portions. panel is also preferably provided to. overlie the Another object of my invention is the provisecond panel, and preferably has a portion or sion of means for protecting the spout during section thereof removable to provide an aperture packing, transportation and other handling of in register with the aperture of the second panel;

the container prior to use. the removable portion of the third panel being Still another object of my invention is to prolarger than the removable portion of the second vide a foldable spout which, when collapsed, propanel, so that the former seats on the portions vides a cover for the pouring aperture. of the panel surrounding the latter.

The invention possesses other objects and fea- The various panels are preferably adhesively tures of advantage, some of which, with the foreunited together, and means are preferably progoing, will be Set forth in the following ipvided for preventing the adhesive from adhering tion of my invention. It is to be understood that to the foldable spout portion and the portions of I do not imit mys lf o this disclosu e of species the second panel on which the removable portion of my invention, as I may adopt variant embodiof the third panel seats. In order to aid in pullments thereof within the scope of the claims. ing the spout forming tongue out thru the aper- 30 Referring to the drawing: tures a second tongue is preferably provided, and

Figure 1 is a development of the upper portion is preferably formed by partially cutting another of the blank from which my container is formed. portion from the main body of the first men- Figure 2 is a plan V w Of a portion of the op tioned panel. This latter tongue is also exposed of the container showing the removable cut-out upon removal of the sections from the second 35 in place. and third mentioned panels, and is arranged so Figure 3 is a similar View howin the cut-out that depression of the same provides an opening removed. giving access to the edge of the spout forming Figure 4 is a Similar View in which the spout tongue, so that suitable means such as the tip of 35 has been fo e by d w it thru the aperturethe finger may be inserted to lift out' the tongue.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the con- Th panels referred to are preferably the end te ne e o y y invention, taken in a plane and side flaps which, when folded together, form indicated by the line of Figure the top of the container. The spout tongue is Figure 6 is a similar view drawn to an enlarged preferably formed adjacent the central portions scale to illustrate the relief about the spout. The of one of t end flaps and t removable Pi in which h View is taken is indicated by tions providing the aperture thru which the spout the line of i' extends are preferably formed adjacent the opcontainer posing edges of the side flaps, so that the removbodying my invention comprises a wall Dim able sections move into registration over the having an aperture thru which material may be 45 spout forming tongue as the side flaps are folded poured from the container. A foldable tongue do over the end flaps hingeably connected wlth the panel is pmvlded In greater detail and referring particularly to to overlie the aperture, so that the tongue prou h n folded and a cover f the Figure 1, the container embodying my invent on vides a SP0 t w e 0 comprises a blank 2, provided with the scoring aperture when collapsed. Preferably the tongue 50 is formed by partially cutting a portion of the 3 by means of which the biahhmay be ioified in panel from the main body thereof, and providing the customary a e t p ov de a co am a crease across the uncut portions between the .The blank is prov d h end p Panels 6 tongue and panel to hingeably connect the former and '7, and side flaps or panels 8 and 9, separated 55 with the latter. The tongue is preferably made by the slits 11. These flaps are foldable together no to provide the top wall of the container. Similar flaps are formed on the other end of the blank to form the bottom wall of the container, but, to

main body of the flap by the curved slit 13. By-

providi-ng a crease 14 across the uncut portions between the tongue and flap the former is hingeably secured to the latter. A pair of spaced creases or scores 16 are provided to connect with theends of the hinge crease 14 and extend across the tongue 12 to foldably divide the same into a central and two end portions, so that the tongue may be folded to form a spout. A smaller tongue portion 17 is also provided, and is hinged on the flap 7 at the scoring 18, so that by depressing this tongue suitable means, such as the tip of the finger, may be inserted under the edge of the larger tongue 12 to bend it outwardly from the flap.

Formed in the side flap 8 adjacent the edge which abuts the end flap '7 is a removable porformed by printing on the surfaces of the flapswith a, heavy ink, preferably an ink which presents a glazed surface when set, so as to prevent the adherence thereto of the glue used in securing the flaps of the container together.

In the formation of the container, as best shown in Figures 5 and 6, the end flaps 6 and 7 are bent inwardly so as to lie at right angles to the side walls of the container, and the side flap 8 is bent downwardly to lie on the end flaps; these elements being secured together by a layer of suitable adhesive 26. Due to the glazed surface presented by the ink shield 23 only the unshielded portions of the end flap '7 will be secured to the underside of side flap ,8, so that the adhesive will not interfere with the movement of the tongues 12 and 17. The other side flap 9 is now bent to overlie the flap 8; these elements being secured together by a layer 2'7 of suitable adhesive. As in the previous instance, only the unshielded portions of flap 8 are secured to the underside of the flap 9; the glazed surfacepresented by the shield 24 effectively resisting the adherence of the adhesive. It will be seen that the sections 19 and 21 are adhesively secured together to form a unitary cut-out, the upper section 21 of which is adapted to lie on the ledge 28 bounding the smaller section 19; it being noted that the upper section 21 is prevented from adhering to the surface of the ledge by the ink shield 24.

The process of opening the container is best illustrated in Figures 2 to 5. The cut-out formed by the adhesively united sections 19 and 21 is seized at the top edge of the container and is torn from the side flaps 8 and 9 to expose the tongues 12 and 17, as shown in Figure 3. The tongue 1'7 is now pushed downward or depressed so as to enable a suitable implement or the tip of the finger to be inserted under the edge of the tongue 12. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the spout form ing tongue 12 is now drawn forward thru the aperture 31 provided by the absence of sections 19 and 21.

The side portions or wings 32 of the tongue 12 lying under the side flaps are held back as the central portion of the tongue is pulled thru the aperture, so that the side portions 32 are forced to swing inwardly as they slide out past the edges of the aperture, thus causing the tongue to fold along the scoring 16 to provide a trough shaped spout. It is to be noted that the shape of the removable section 19 is such that it provides the shoulders 30 when removed. These shoulders provide a base for' the spout when it is in the extended position. Figure 4 shows this feature. After the desired amount of the contents of the container has been removed the spout may be returned to the position indicated in Figure 3, thus affording protection for the contents against the entryof dust Pr other foreign matter into the container.

As best shown in Figure 6, the area indicated by the stippling 23 on and about the tongue 12 may be recessed slightly to provide a space 33 between the end flap 7 and the underside of the side flap 8. This spacing of the parts prevents the adhesion of that portion of the securing layer 26 overlying the recess. Either the paint shield or the 105 recess idea may be employed, or both may be used 7 together.

In packaging granular or other pourable materials in containers provided with removable portions to permit of pouring the contents thereof, considerable difliculty is experienced in .preserving the seal of the package intact until it reaches the consumer. Extensive handling of the containers increases the possibility of accidental puncture of the package by dislodgment of the section covering the pouring aperture, with the result that a portion of the contents is lost and the package is rendered unmarketable. The pouring spout embodied in my container overcomes this difilculty by the provision of an improved method of forming a protecting cut-out, so as to resist all but the correct method of dislodgment.

Furthermore, the provision of means for shielding the working parts of the spout during formation of the container precludes the possibility of the adhesive used therein interfering with the function of the spout. It is further to be noted that all the parts of the spout as well as the means for its protection are formed from material that is already in the container, and that all maybe made at the same time the container blank itself is stamped out and printed.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a wall panel having 135 a portion thereof foldable to provide a spout, a second panel overlying and adhesively united to the first-mentioned panel and having a portion thereof removable independently of the spout to provide an aperture thru which the spout may extend, a third panel overlying and adhesively united to the second-mentioned panel and having a portion thereof removable to provide an aperture in register with the aperture of the second panel, the removable portion of the third-mentioned panel being larger than the removable portion of the second panel so'that the former seats on the portions of the panel surrounding the latter, and means for preventing the adhesive from adhering to the foldable spout portion and the portions of the second panel on which the removable portion of the third panel seats.

2. A container comprising a wall panel having a portion thereof hingedly connected thereto and foldable to provide a spout, and a second panel overlying said first-mentioned panel and having a portion thereof removable independently of the spout to provide an aperture through which the spout may extend, said removable portion terminating at an edge of the panel adjacent the spout and being defined by a line of weakened attachment shaped to produce shoulders at opposite sides of the spout adjacent its hinge when the portion is removed.

3. A container comprising a wall panel having a portion thereof foldable to provide a spout, and a second panel overlying said first mentioned panel and havinga portion thereof removable independenly of the spout to provide an aperture through which the spout may extend, and a third panel overlying the second-mentioned panel and having a portion thereof removable with the firstmentioned removable portion to provide an aperture in register with the aperture of the second panel, the removable portions extending to corresponding edges of their respective panels.

4. A container comprising a wall panel having a portion thereof hingedly connected thereto and foldable to provide a spout, and a second panel overlying said first-mentioned panel and having a portion thereof removable independently of the spout to provide an aperture through which the spout may extend, and a third panel overlying the second-mentioned panel and having a removable portion to provide an aperture in register with the aperture of the second panel, the removable portions extending to an edge of the container to facilitate removal thereof and one of 

